A survey examines the bases for patients' preferences for a site of care, in particular what factors would lead them to chose a retail clinic versus a regular physician office…
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Two recent pieces of research shed further light on what commonly happens with individuals' health status near the end of their lives and on the extent to which people are…
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For some years researchers have examined the link, if any, between the volume of a certain type of procedure or service at a hospital and outcomes. A new study published…
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This week's collection includes obesity, clinical trials results, how hospitals make money from physicians, strategic implications of reform, what reform is likely to do to young people's insurance premiums and…
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A variety of benefits from expanded use of electronic medical or health records have been advanced by advocates. An article in the New England Journal of Medicine explores whether such…
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What is the link, if any, between socio-economic status, health behaviors and health status? Researchers have theorized and pondered whether there is correlation or causation and in which direction. A…
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As people live longer, and as there are more families with both spouses working, more employees are having concerns about managing the care of an ill parent. A MetLife study…
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The Massachusetts Attorney General's final report on what is driving health care cost increases in Massachusetts confirms the preliminary version's finding that most of the spending rise is due to…
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Health Affairs publishes a study with a creative approach to understanding hospital costs, hospital pricing, Medicare payments and market power. The authors' conclusion is that profitable hospitals have higher expenses…
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To the delight of some and the dismay of many, the health "reform" bill has passed and been signed. Very few Americans, or Congresspeople, understand what is in the bill…
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MedPAC had outside researchers look at the effects of paying all physician services in the United States under the Medicare fee schedule. Changes in that schedule were supposed to be…
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Hospitals have increasingly become the hub for medical services in many communities. Trends relating to hospitals are therefore of significant interest. A recent article gives a perspective on some of…
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Because physicians ultimately control so much of health care spending, understanding variations in their patterns of practice is important. A NEJM article examines the reliability and accuracy of physician profiling…
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Many telehealth, ehealth, mhealth, etc. product companies have assumed that their products and services will move easily through the FDA or that they don't even need to interact with the…
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Towers Watson is a large employee benefits consulting firm which regularly surveys companies regarding their health plan and related offerings. The latest survey offers insights on trends in plan design…
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